Tarpaulin, sheet, cover, and roof.



No. 778,620. PATENTED DEC. 27, 1904. T. N. WYLI E & A. J. HENDERSON.TARPAULIN, SHEET, COVER, AND ROOF.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3.1904.

2 SHEETS-SEEET l.

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' 0 U 0 Q 0 O o Q No. 778,620. PATENTED DEC. 27, 1904. T. N. WYLIB & AJ. HENDERSON. TARPAULIN, SHEET, COVER, AND ROOF.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNTTEE STATES Patented December 27, 1904.

PATENT EEicE.

THOMAS NIGEL lVYLIE, LONDON, AND ARTHUR JAMES HENDERSON, OF SEAFORD,ENGLAND.

TARPAULIN, SHEET, COVER, AND ROOF.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 778,620, datedDecember 27, 1904. Application filed June 3, 1904. Serial No. 211,035.

To (LU 1117mm, it may concern:

Be itknown that we, THOMAS NIGEL WYLIE, residing at North Kensington,London, and ARTHUR JAMES HENDERSON, residing at Seaford, county ofSussex, England, subjects of His Majesty the King of Great Britain, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvementin Tarpaulins, Sheets,Covers,and Roofs, of which the following is a specification.

IO This invention relates to an improvement in the construction oftarpaulins, sheets, covers, and roofs of railway and tramway trucks,vans, vehicles, ricks, and other covers; and it consists in employing inthe tarpaulin and the 5 like two sheets of preferably waterproofedfabric or material superposed and secured the one to the other in suchmanner as to leave a space between the two, the under sheet beingperforated in certain parts, while the upper sheet is unperforated, thespace between the two being maintained by distance-pieces in the form ofbattens, balls, buttons, or pieces of suitable material interposed andfastened in the space at convenient intervals apart,

5 whereby a covering is formed which permits the free circulation of airbetween the upper and under surfaces thereof and through theperforations in the latter, while water is effectually excluded.

3 1n the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of theimproved ventilated tarpaulin or like cover, part of the upper sheetbeing broken away to show the perforations in the under sheet. Fig. 2 isalso a plan of a portion of a like tarpaulin or cover to show amodification. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on an enlarged scale, on line AB of Fig. 1, showing the distance-pieces and perforations. Fig. 4 is asimilar cross-section on line 4 C D of Fig. 2. Figs. 5 and 6 aretransverse sections through vehicle-roofs constructed in accordance withthe invention, Fig. 6 being a modified form of Fig. 5.

In Fig. 1 the under sheet 1 has superposed on it a sheet 2, which issmaller in area than the sheet 1, but is sufficient to cover the top ofthe wagon, rick, or the like, while the un der sheet 1 is preferably ofsufficient size to wholly or partially afford protection to the sidesthereof and is provided at intervals along 5 its edges with cords 3,whereby the covering can be secured in position on the truck, rick,

or the like.

The upper sheet 2 is preferably partially attached to the under sheet 1at its corners by means of stitching i. To separate, and in this casefurther connect the two sheets, blocks having rounded corners or ballsor pieces of wood, cork, or other suitable material 5 are interposed atintervals between said upper and lower sheets, so as to act asdistance-pieces to maintain the ventilating-space 6. The blocks orpieces 5 are secured to both upper and lower sheets 1 and 2, as shown inFig. 3, by means of a rivet 7; but any other suitable fastening 5 may beemployed.

If blocks 5 are employed in place of balls, their corners are rounded,so that the sheet may be folded up or lie over uneven surfaces withoutbeing damaged, and to assist this and 7 prevent wear from frictioncanvas or like washers 9 may be interposed between the blocks and thetwo sheets.

10 represents perforations in the lower cover, preferably eyeleted, asshown, to ob- 7' viate fraying of the edges, and through whichperforations the air circulating in the space6 has free ingress to thegoods beneath to ventilate and keep them cool.

In Fig. 2 the upper sheet 2 is only secured to the lower sheet 1 by aline of stitching 12 down the center, (or a line of rivets might beemployed,) and the blocks 5 are attached only by a screw 8 to the uppersheet 2, so that said sheet may be thrown back from the sides, 5 asshown, to expose its under side and the upper surface of the lowersheet, the arrangement affording a means of inspecting the two sheetsand repairing them when worn. To hold the upper sheet down when inposition, 9 it is provided with cords 13, which are tied down with thecords 3.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the ventilated covering is shown adapted to the roofsof railway-vans, box-trucks, passenger-carriages, or the like, Fig. 5showing a box-truck and Fig. 6 a passenger-carriage. It this case thebattens 11 form the distance-pieces and take the place of the blocks orballs 5 in securing the two surfaces together and maintaining the space,and ventilating-openings M are formed in the under surface or roof 1,such openings in the case of passenger-coaches being preferably arrangedin clusters, so that they may be opened or closed in any well-knownmanner, such as by the slide 15. (Indicated in Fig. 6.) In this case theupper surface or roof 2 is preferably larger than the surface or roof 1,so as to overlap same and form a protection from the weather.

A covering constructed in the above-described manner possessesconsiderable advan tages over the ordinary single covering, inasmuch asthe air-space prevents the radiation of heat penetrating to the goods tobe covered and induces a current of fresh cool air between the upper andunder surfaces, which reduces the heat under the covering to a minimum,the fresh air having ingress through the perforations in the undersurface and the hot and vitiated air escaping by the same means, andthese advantages are amply demonstrated in such an instance as thepreservation of fruit and like perishable goods during transit onrailways in hot weather.

What we claim is 1. A covering of the character described, comprisingtwo superposed sheets of material having an air-space between, the undersheet having perforations therein, means for securing the two sheetstogether, blocks interposed in said. space between the upper and undersheets, washers forming seatings for said blocks, and rivets forsecuring said blocks and washers to the upper and under sheets tomaintain said air-space.

2. A covering of the character described, comprising two superposedsheets of material having an air-space between, the under sheet havingperforations therein, means for securing said sheets together,rounded-surface blocks interposed in the space between said sheets, andscrews securing said blocks to one of the sheets to maintain theair-space.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS NIGEL WYLIE ARTHUR JAMES HEXDERSON. \Vitnesses:

RICHARD WVnsrAoo'rir, ALFRED NUTTING.

